hgt
Hgt is an acronym with multiple meanings across disciplines, and its intended sense is determined by context. The most widely recognized scientific meaning is horizontal gene transfer, abbreviated HGT, which refers to the movement of genetic material between organisms other than traditional parent-to-offspring inheritance. This process is observed primarily in bacteria and other microorganisms, but can also occur in some eukaryotes. HGT occurs through transformation (uptake of naked DNA), transduction (phage-mediated transfer), and conjugation (direct transfer of DNA between cells). Through these mechanisms, organisms can acquire new genes and traits rapidly, influencing adaptation, evolutionary trajectories, and the spread of characteristics such as antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. HGT challenges strictly tree-like models of evolution and is a central topic in microbial genomics and evolutionary biology. Detection and study of HGT typically involve comparative genomics, phylogenetic incongruence, atypical nucleotide composition, and the presence of mobility elements like plasmids or transposons.
In non-scientific or data-oriented contexts, hgt is sometimes used as an abbreviation for height, appearing in
Summary: hgt most often denotes horizontal gene transfer in biology, reflecting a key mechanism of genetic